Yoga_Journal_USA_Your_6Week_2017

This pose is a perfect introduction to the subtleties of

arm balancing because of its deeply folded, compact

shape as well as the back rounding and the groin and hip

opening it requires. The squatting and folding elements

of the first prep pose, Marichya sana I, will help you develop the hip flexibility and postural

awareness necessary to do Bakasana with less effort and resistance. The second prep

pose, Malasana (Garland Pose), will broaden and free your upper back, safely round your

spine, and teach you Bakasana’s shape.

And to release tension in your hips and legs, try practicing Balasana (Child’s Pose), Utta-

nasana (Standing Forward Bend), Baddha Konasana (Bound Angle Pose), and Virasana

(Hero Pose). For instruction in these poses, go to yogajournal.com/poses. If you have the

suppleness for Bakasana but not the strength, try this: Lie on your back, reach your arms

toward the ceiling, draw your knees toward your chest, and lift your head and chest off

the floor. This is Bakasana on your back. Your abdominals may nearly catch fire, but the

core strength will come in handy.

prep pose II

prep pose I

MODEL: KATHRYN BUDIG; STYLIST: LYN HEINEKEN; HAIR/MAKEUP: TAMARA BROWN/ARTIST UNTIED

MALASANA

(GARLAND POSE)

Begin in a standing position, then bring

the insides of your feet together and

bend your knees deeply into a squat. If

possible, bring your heels to the floor;

if not, it’s OK. Allow your knees to sepa-

rate slightly wider than your shoulders,

and lower your torso between your

legs. Deepen the pose by sliding your

armpits down the shins. To maintain

the even, graceful arc of your back, sit-

uate yourself so that your tailbone and

the crown of your head are equidistant

from the floor.

Now tuck your arms under the front of

your shins and slide them behind your

hips, with your palms facing the ceiling.

Gently hug your knees into your side

ribs, soften the muscles of your back,

and breathe. Relax and simply allow

your body to get used to this shape.

MARICHYASANA I

Start seated. Straighten your left leg

and bend your right knee until your

calf and thigh touch. Align your right

foot with your sitting bone. Extend

your right arm inside your right thigh

and hold your inside left foot (use belt

if needed). Momentarily open your

right thigh to the side as you lift and

lengthen your right side; squeeze your

right thigh against your ribs. Slide your

armpit down your shin as far as ease

permits, allowing your back to gently

dome. Keep squeezing your knee into

your side so there’s little or no space

between armpit and shin. Gently draw

lower abdomen toward spine and

deepen the forward bend; clasp your

left wrist with right hand behind right

leg. Feel the hip opening that will help

with Bakasana. Take 5–10 smooth

breaths before you switch sides.

Bakasana (Crane Pose)

ON THE WAY TO

28 YOGAJOURNAL.COM YOUR 6-WEEK YOGA GUIDE TO BUILD STRENGTH